Rotary engine.



GI Al KAISER.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 5.23.16. 1oo5.'

PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TERS co., WASHINGTON, u..c.

Z INVENTOR ATIORNEY 6 0 9 1 4 0 E D D E m N E T A D 5 N Be wN E .AWM mm.B

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 16, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

M fl/fma ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. KAISER, OF ASTORIA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO LEOFLATOW, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed April 15, 1906; Serial No. 256.768.

which can be driven by steam, air, or other,

pressure.

This invention resides in certain features of construction set forth inthe following specification and claims and illustrated in the annexeddrawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation of an engine embodyingthis invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectionalong the line 00 a, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are views like Fig. 3, butwith parts in different positions. Fig. 6 is a section along line y y,Fig. 2. Fig. 7 shows the end opposite to that one exposed in Fig. 1.Fig. 8 shows the disk for holding the slide-valve open. Fig. 9 shows aneccentric for actuating the slide-valve.

In the drawings is shown a cylinder a, with. heads I), to one of whichis secured a bracket 0 fora purpose presently explained. A rotary hollowvalve is shown at d, into the interior or chamber of which steam orpressure medium enters from the inlet or slits c. Passing out from saidvalve (2 the pressure passes along one or two ports f, according as theinlet-valve d is turned or set to dischargeinto or communicate with oneport or another. These ports f lead into branches 9 and g. Each suchbranch port at one end leads into the interior of cylinder (1. The otheror outer end of each branch leads to a valve h. These valves might becalled exhaust-valves.

When the valves are set, as seen in Fig. 3, so that the outer or exhaustend of branch g .is closed, while branch g can exhaust or discharge intoits valve and the pressure from the inlet-valve d enters branch g, themachine rotates in one direction. If the outer end or exhaust throughbranch g is closed andbranch g can exhaust and the pressure from theinlet is led into g, the machine reverses or moves in the otherdirection, as seen in Fig. 4.

- The inlet and exhaust valves are connected by suitable connections orlinks i, pivoted to a handle or reversing-lever 7r on valve d and toarms m on valves 71,. As the valve (1 is turned to communicate ordischarge into branch g the valves h are at the same time turned toclose the outer or exhaust end of branch g, but to allow branch g todischarge into or communicate with the interior of its exhaust-valve. Onshifting the handle 70, with. valve d, to the reverse position thevalves h are also shifted, so that the outer end of branch g is closed;but branch 9 can exhaust into its valve h.

In the cylinder is a rotary drum 0, whose plungers or pistons 29 canslide back and forth to always sit or close against the interior ofcylinder a as the drum rotates.

WVhen the pressure enters at port g, it acts successively on one of thefaces of each plunger p and the drum is rotated one way. If port 9exhausts and the pressure enters at g", the drum rotates the other way.

It may also be noted from Fig. 5 that the valve may be set to closingpositionthat is, so that valve (1 is in intermediate position tocommunicate with neither of branches 9 nor g, while valves h close theexhaust ends of both said branches. The machine will then stop.

The drum 0 is mounted eccentrically in the cylinder 0, and the interiorof the latter is not bored quite cylindrical, but so that the plunger 2)will keep in tight or closing contact about the inner wall of thecylinder, but without binding.

The shaft 9 of the drum extends out through stuffing-boxes, as usual,and carries a hub or arms 1, fixed thereto. On these arms at 2 arefulcrumed arms or bell-crank levers 3, having governors or weights 4.These weights are drawn toward one another by springs 5, as known in theconstruction of governors. The arms 3 engage a slide or sleeve 6, whichis caused to rotate with the shaft by the engagement of the studs 7,extended from hub 1", but which can slide or feather toward and from thehub or along the shaft. As the centrifugal force of the rotating shaftcauses the governor-weights to assume a more or less eccentric positionthe arms 3 move the sleeve one way or another on the shaft. The sleeveis formed with or has secured thereto a disk 8 and a set of eccentricsor cams 8 of varying sizes. Each eccentric has two high and two lowparts, and as an eccentric rotates and acts against the foot orfriction-roller 9 of a stem 10 the latter is vibrated or caused to moveback and forth in a seat or tubular guide formed as part of the bracket0. Said oscillator-stem 10 by a pin 11 engages an arm of lever 12 whosefulcrum 14 is also carried by said bracket 0. This lever 12 isconveniently formed as a bell-crank lever, and one of its arms engagesor presses on the outer end of a slide-valve or cut-off 15. The innerend of this valve is acted on by the pressure or steam in the chamber invalve (Z, so that the said valve 15 has a tendency to move out or pressagainst the lever 12. As the lever 12 oscillates the valve 15 is movedback and forth or in and out to open and close the inlet or entry ofpressure from opening a. .This valve 15 can extend out through astuffing-box or packing formed by box 16, Fig. 6,'with follower 18 andscrew-cap '17, or any suitable known way.

When the machine is at rest, the stem 10 is held up by disk 8 and thevalve 15 is permanently open, so that as soon as pressure enters at theinlet 6 said pressure can immediately act on the pistons 19 and startthe engine in any desired direction as lever 7c and the valves may beset. WVhen the engine has started to a certain speed, the gov ernoractuates the slide-sleeve 6 to bring one or another of the cams 8 intoaction, according to the action of the governor. As the speed varies orincreases the governor brings one or another of the cams S into action,a lower or smaller one of the cams allowing valve 15 to only partly openthe inlet, and thus reduce excessive speed or compel the engine to workunder greater expansion.

A packing 19, Fig. 3, can also be placed in the cylinder in form of ablock, which can be adjusted or set to close or contact with the drumand pistons, and which packing is located between the ports 9 and g Thepiston or slide valve 15 being placed in the rotary inletvalve d, asseen, a com-.

pact structure is obtained. The inlet and exhaust valves, as stated, areso linked or connected that all three can be closed at once, but onlytwo of said valves can be open at the same time, and as one exhaust orthe other is open the engine rotates forward or reverses, eachexhaust-valve channel or branch 9 or g acting as an inlet when itsrespective exhaust-valve is closed.

The automatic slide or cut-off valve might be called a twinpiston-valve, since, as seen, it has a body or stem part with twoclosing or piston parts to cut oli the inletslits. Being actuated ordriven one way by the pressure or steam driving the engine and in theopposite direction by the lever 12, said valve is simple ofconstruction. Said pistonvalve could, if desired, be pivoted or connected to lever 12.

The valves d and it can all be groundlsnug into place or make tight fitin their seats without the aid of packing.

In regard to the operation of the machine it may be noted that if duringthe running of the engine all the valves, both inlet and exhaust, shouldbe closed the steam which may be in advance of the piston or plunger 1)is compressed, while that on the opposite side is rarefied. What mightbe called a double brake is thus formed or quick stop page effected.

The cut-oil is arranged or turned to close or shut ofl pressure before apiston respectively reaches the port forming the exhaust. The result isthat the steam which has entered the cylinder can expand and expend itslife or pressure before escaping. At the same time before a piston hascome to the exhaust-point the opposite piston has come .to the portforming the inlet, so that it is acted on by the oncoming pressurebefore exhaust at the other piston has commenced. Dead-centers are thusavoided, the unexhausted pressure carrying the oncoming piston past theinlet before the expansion has died out or expended its energy.

The ports g and g, as seen, are out of line with one another or both atone side of a di ameter of the cylinder. These ports are in proximity toor not placed diametrically opposite one another. The drum is mountedeccentrically in the cylinder, or its center is at the same side of thecylinder as that on which the two ports are located. The pistons of thedrum are in such position that one piston will be at the inlet-port g or9 before the opposite piston has reached that one of the ports which atthe time serves as an exhaust. These pistons, as seen, are diametricallyopposite or in line with one another and connected so as to movetogether or slide in and out of the drum to maintain contact with thecylinder-wall. Suitable packing can of course be applied to the pistons,and said pistons will maintain tight contact about the interior wall ofthe cylinder without requiring the use of any springs or gravity.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters latent,is-

1. An engine having an inlet-valve and a port-valve contained in theinlet-valve, and means for continuously reciprocating the portvalveduring the movement or working of the engine.

2. An engine having a rotary inlet-valve with a piston-valve in theinlet-valve means for continuously reciprocating the pistonvalve and agovernor for regulating the position of said piston-valve.

3. An engine having a pressure-inlet and an inlet-valve, a piston-valvein the inletvalve, and an actuating-lever at the outer end of thepiston-valve, said inlet-valve having a permanent communication with thepressure-inlet and also provided with a pressurespace at the innerextremity of the piston valve to force orhold the latter outwardlyagainst its actuating-lever.

4. An engine having an inlet-valve and a port-valve contained therein,means for continuously reciprocating the port-valve within theinlet-valve during the movement or working of the engine, exhaust-valvesprovided with crank-arms, links engaging the said cranlearms, and anoperating-lever connected to the inlet-valve and to the said links.

5. An engine having ports each of which has an inlet and exhaust branchand valves for said port branches one of said port-valves having acontinuously-acting cut-ofl' valve to allow expansion of workingpressure in the engine.

6. An engine having a valve-seat and a valve in said seat, a lever formoving said valve in one direction and mechanically-actuated means forvibrating the lever, the valve-seat being chambered to form a steam orpressure space to move the valve against the lever said pressure-spacebeing made to communicate with the pressure-space oi' the engine toreceive its pressure therefrom and have its pressure correspond to theworking pressure of the engine.

7. An engine having a pressure-chamber with inlet-valve and lever, acut-oil valve in form of a piston fitted into the inlet-valve andreciprocated by the lever and by the pressure in the chamber, and a camfor actuating the lever.

8. An engine having steam-inlets, a cutofl' valve with rims to close theinlets, a shaft carrying a cam or cams, a lever or actuator for thevalve vibrated by the cam, and means for causing the pressure drivingthe engine to move the valve against the actuator.

9. An engine having ports, a rotary inletvalve, a cut-off valve in theinlet-valve actuating-disks for the cut-off valve and a lever or handlefor the inlet-valve to set the same to one port or another for movementin opposite directions.

10. An engine comprising a cylinder with an inlet and two outlet ports,a rotary inletvalve in the inlet-port provided with apistonvalve, valvesin the outlet-ports, connections between the inlet and outlet valves,means for continuously reciprocating the portvalve during the movementor working of the engine, and a drum with plungers or pistons rotatablydisposed in the cylinder in eccentric relation to the latter, theconnecting devices for the valves being 0 erable to close all threeports simultaneous y so that the steam or the like pressure medium inadvance of one of the plungers or pistons is compressed, and that at theopposite side of the plunger or piston is rarefied to form a doublesafety brake or stop.

11. An engine having pressure-inlets, an inlet-valve, a cutoff valve forthe inlets and placed in the inlet-valve, a shaft carrying a rotary camfor vibrating the cut-off valve and a disk for holding the valve open, alever for the valve, and means for bringing the cam and disk to thelever.

12. A11 engine having an inlet-valve with a portvalve movablelongitudinally therein, v

the inlet-valve having a pressure-space to receive the pressure mediumand normally force the port-valve outwardly, and means for continuouslyactuating the port-valve in opposition to the pressure medium in thesaid pressure-space during the movement or working of the engine.

13. An engine having a valve-seat to receive the pressure medium, and avalve longitudinally movable in said seat, the seat being chambered toform a steam or pressure space to normally move the valve outwardly,said pressure-space being made to communicate with the pressure-space inthe engine to receive its pressure therefrom and have the lattercorrespond to the working pressure of the engine, and means forautomatically actuating the valve in opposition to the steam or pressuremedium in the said pressure-space.

14. An engine having a pressure-chamber with an inlet-valve, providedwith means for moving the same in opposite directions, a cut-oil valvelongitudinally reciprocable in the inlet-valve, the latter having apressurechamber to normally throw the cut-oi? valve outwardly, and meansfor moving the cut-off valve inwardly in opposition to the pressure inthe said chamber.

15. An engine having inlets, a cut off valve for controlling the openand closed condition of said inlets, the said cut-ofl' valve beingnormally forced outwardly by the pressure driving the engine, anactuating device for moving the valve inwardly, and means cooperatingwith said actuating device for vibrating the latter in accordance withthe speed of the engine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set -my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. KAISER.

' Witnesses:

EDWARD WIESNER, GEORGE HULSBERG.

